April 13, 2006

Busting bunkers.

Part of the Dubya administration's reputed plans for destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities involve strking its nuclear facilities with nuclear 'bunker busters'  or as those masters of euphemism in the Pentagon like to call them: 'Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrators.' As this animation from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows, this is not only a bad idea, but a dangerous and ineffective one.

Fallout pattern from a bunker buster strike at Isfahan, Iran, 28 hours after detonation. As many as 3 million people could die, and fallout would endanger those downwind in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Fallout pattern based on a Pentagon simulation. [Graphic: Union of Concerned Scientists]

The Union of Concerned Scientists has more information about bunker busters and the effects of using them if you go here.